For Seattle-Area Muskie Fellow, Course on Diversity Leads to Diverse Community Service Projects

While taking a class on diversity at the University of Washington, Ukrainian MPA Muskie Fellow Svitlana Batsyukova worked with a variety of community service projects where she became involved with the diverse communities in the Seattle area.

Ms. Batsyukova volunteered at Childhaven, an organization dedicated to addressing the needs of abused children. Ms. Batsyukova helped with the preparation for the annual fundraising event entitled “Seahawks Auction” by creating posters, making pictures, writing letters of invitation, and distributing toys.  Ms. Batsyukova also volunteered at Rising Out of the Shadows (ROOTS), a Seattle-based organization that provides critical services to homeless and other low-income people.  Ms. Batsyukova worked at a soup kitchen with other volunteers and prepared food for the Friday Feast Program for people in need. Svitlana explained how her work with ROOTS impacted her life: “I obtained skills on how to interact with people in need and how to respond to their needs in a positive and creative way.”

In addition to these projects, Ms. Batsyukova volunteered with the Refugee Women's Alliance. On International Human Rights Day, December 10, 2005, she participated in a Human Trafficking Rally in Seattle’s Steinbreuck Park. During the event Ms. Batsyukova read the testimony of a victim, which was an adaptation of two real victim stories. Ukraine is just one of the countries facing the grave threat of human trafficking, and Svitlana believes that this event helped to increase public awareness of the global and local human trafficking problem and helped inform people how they can recognize and assist people who were trafficked. After these diverse experiences, Svitlana emphasized that she will “implement my knowledge by writing academic articles on early intervention programs in the United States, the human trafficking phenomenon, and social programs that assist people in need. Probably I will apply for a job in a human rights protection agency.